The Aesthetic Eye

Before their new issue launches, Thomas Persson, Acne Paper’s Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director spent a little bit of time with Life+Times showing us around his office and giving us some insight into the upcoming issue – centered around the human body. Here, a look behind the scenes to the world of Acne Paper.

Life+Times: What is the mission of Acne Paper?
Thomas Persson:To create a magazine unlike any other magazine on the market today – one that is not about news or trends but explores a universal theme from both a historical and contemporary perspective through in-depth interviews, art portfolios, fashion shoots, and essays.

L+T: Is it, in a way, your aim to increase the brand’s lifestyle?
TP: I don’t know if it increases the brand’s lifestyle but it certainly adds to it because it represents our deep interest and curiosity in all forms of art and culture, stuff we would like to share with others. With a magazine like Acne Paper we have the possibility to create a “world” around the company by working with creative people we find inspiring and giving them a platform to showcase their work.

L+T: What do you want people to take away from the publication?
TP: Hopefully we can be an inspiration for people who are interested in the same things as us and who loves the beauty of the printed matter. Acne Paper has become a collectors item so I think it is a publication belonging to the family of beautifully produced books, something you would like to keep in your library. I like to think that Acne Paper inspires because it is not about getting slimmer, richer, more fabulous, or better looking, but rather something for the brain and the aesthetic eye.

L+T: What can we expect from the next issue?
TP: Our next issue is about the human body. Among many other things we have featured artists who, in very different ways, uses the body as a point of departure to tell stories of human kind and what it means to be alive. We have an extensive portfolio on Louise Bourgeois, new work by Jack Pierson, a feature on Gillian Wearing, a great conversation between Christian Boltanski and Hans Ulrich Obrist, a debate about the fashionable body between Patricia Mears and Dr. Valerie Steele, a fabulous interview and portfolio with fashion photography legend Lillian Bassman, an interview with Lola Schnabel about her new film on the artist Luigi Ontani, a substantial essay and portfolio on Peter Paul Rubens, an amazing interview with Isabella Rossellini, and a tribute to Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn – the artist, model and wife of Irving Penn, to mention a few the things you can expect from the new issue. I think it will be our best issue yet so we are very excited about it.